National symbols of Taiwan
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Taiwan has been ruled by various regimes throughout its history. Since 1945, the island has been ruled by the Republic of China (ROC).
The ROC was the government of mainland China from 1912 to 1949, when this government fled to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War, and the country today is commonly called Taiwan. The ROC controlled majority parts of China until 1949, but today only controls Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and nearby smaller islands. However, due to ROC’s past history as the internationally recognized representative of China, plus its current claims over all of China as its territory,[1][2][3] some of its official symbols can still be used to represent China under certain contexts.
Symbols of the Republic of China
[edit]| Symbol | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| National flag | National flag of the ROC
|
The flag of the Republic of China was adopted in 1928 and is also known as "Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth". It was first used as the flag of Sun Yat-sen's government-in-exile in Tokyo. The flag has not been used in the mainland, except in some museums and historical places, since the ROC government's relocation to Taiwan and the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Because the Taiwanese flag's canton contains the flag of the Kuomintang Party of the Pan-Blue Coalition, supporters of the pro-independence Pan-Green Coalition do not use it. |
| The Chinese Taipei Olympic flag
|
Since the International Olympic Committee recognized the People's Republic of China's Olympic Committee, Taiwan has been barred from using its own flag in the Olympic Games due to requests from the PRC. Instead, it is called Chinese Taipei and uses the Chinese Taipei flag. The flag is white with a blue-white-red bordered plum blossom, inside which the Taiwan's national emblem sits above the Olympic symbol. | |
| National emblem | Blue Sky with a White Sun
|
The National Emblem was adopted in 1947. Its design is derived from the Blue Sky with a White Sun emblem of the Kuomintang; the only difference between the Taiwan's national emblem and the KMT's is the blue margin outside the points of the star. As this resembles the emblem of the KMT it is disliked by pro-independence factions in Taiwan. |
| National anthem | "National Anthem of the Republic of China"
|
The national anthem was adopted informally in 1937 and formally in 1943. The anthem is also known as the San Min-chui (the Three Principles of the People) and was derived from Sun Yat-sen's speech at the inaugural ceremony of the Whampoa Military Academy. It discuses how the nation can achieve stability through the Three Principles.
The "National Flag Anthem" was adopted in 1937. The Flag Anthem is also called the "National Banner Song" and is sung when the national flag is raised. Because the Taiwan is barred from using both the Taiwanese flag and anthem in the Olympics under Chinese pressure, the Flag Anthem is used in place of the anthem. The "National Flag Anthem" was heard for the first time in the Olympics when Taiwan (as Chinese Taipei) won a gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics. |
| National Seal | "Seal of the Republic of China"
|
The Seal of the Republic of China is a governmental seal used for purposes of state. The Seal of Honor is a governmental seal used for purposes of honoring. |
| Founder of the nation | Sun Yat-sen
|
Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925) became the first president of the ROC in 1912. He proposed the Three Principles of the People and the Three Phases of National Reconstruction, which served as the foundation of the Northern Expedition. He is highly honored in both Taiwan and China: in Taiwan, presidents take oath in front of Sun's portrait, which is also displayed during National Day celebrations in both Taiwan and China. |
| Currency |  New Taiwan Dollar |
|
| National animal | Formosan black bear (unofficial)
|
|
| National bird | Taiwan blue magpie Mikado pheasant  |
|
| National tree | Camphor (unofficial)
|
|
| National fish | Formosan landlocked salmon |
|
| National flower | Plum blossom
|
The national flower was officially designated as the plum blossom by the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China on July 21, 1964.[4] The plum blossom, known as the meihua, is symbol for resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, because plum blossoms often bloom most vibrantly even amidst the harsh winter snow.[5][6] The triple grouping of stamens represents Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People, while the five petals symbolize the five branches of the government: Executive Yuan, Legislative Yuan, Judicial Yuan, Examination Yuan and Control Yuan.[4][6] Unlike other living symbols, the plum blossom is not native to Taiwan. |
| National year designation/calendar | Minguo calendar
|
The year 1912 (the first year of the Republic of China following the Xinhai Revolution the previous year) marks the beginning of the Republican (min-guo) calendar. The calendar follows the traditional pattern of the reign year of Chinese emperors, also called the Chinese era name. Once a new government is inaugurated in China, the year resets to 1, i.e. the first year of that era. The year 2025 is the 114th year of the Republican era, so it is min guo 114 nian. Some legislators have suggested abolishing this dating system. |
| National Founding Day | January 1 ( New Year's Day )
|
On January 1, 1912 (the first year of the Republic of China), Sun Yat-sen took office as the Provisional President of the Republic of China . He declared the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of China a national anniversary day, and held a flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Palace every year. |
| National Day | National Day of the Republic of China : October 10
|
On October 10, 1911, the revolutionaries of the Xinhai Revolution launched the Wuchang Uprising . The Provisional Government of the Republic of China later passed a resolution of the Provisional Senate on September 28, 1912, designating it as the "National Day of the Republic of China." |
| National Festival | Central Spring and Autumn Festival |
The National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine is the venue for the central national memorial ceremony. Every year on March 29 and September 3, the President of the Republic of China presides over the ceremony, and the Vice President and the heads of the five branches of government attend the ceremony. It is also a representative place for visiting state guests to pay tribute to the martyrs. |
.jpg)
See also
[edit]- National symbols of China
- Proposed flags of Taiwan
- Taiwan the Formosa, a proposed national anthem for Taiwan
References
[edit]- ↑ "Enforcement Rules for the Act Governing Relations between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area". Mainland Affairs Council, Executive Yuan. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
Article 3: The enforcement areas of Subparagraph 2 of Article 2 of the Act shall refer to areas under control of the Chinese Communists.
- ↑ 108年度（2月）刑事具有參考價值之裁判要旨暨裁判全文 (in Chinese), Judicial Yuan, 2019, retrieved 27 March 2026, 又中華民國憲法第4 條明定：「中華民國領土，依其固有之疆域，非經國民大會之決議，不得變更之。」而行憲至今，實際上，國民大會未曾為變更領土之決議。...據此，大陸地區現在雖因事實上之障礙，為我國主權（統治權）所不及，但在大陸地區犯罪，仍應受我國法律之處罰，揭明大陸地區猶屬我國之領域，且未放棄對此地區之主權。
- ↑ Al Banna, Mahir (2024). "Taiwan's international legal standing: navigating the fragile status quo". Journal of Liberty and International Affairs. 10 (1): 149–166. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
While questioning the varying interpretations of the notion of borders in Taiwan, the author Stéphane Corcuff (2005) asks, "If Taiwan is a sovereign state, shouldn't it necessarily have a border with China?" (p. 9). Indeed, there is a legitimate cause for concern as Taiwanese borders remain exceedingly ambiguous...Moreover, the current Constitution of the Republic of China does not guarantee Taiwanese sovereignty as it affirms that the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) occupy the same territory. That means if a war breaks out between the two countries, it would be classified as a domestic conflict under this constitution, which therefore prohibits any form of foreign aid in conformity with the principle of non-intervention set forth by Article 2 (7) of the United Nations Charter (Fang 2002, 3).
- 1 2 Government Information Office, Republic of China – National Flower Archived 2011-08-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "The Three Friends of Winter: Paintings of Pine, Plum, and Bamboo from the Museum Collection". Taipei: National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院). Retrieved 31 July 2011.
- 1 2 National Flag, Anthem and Flower
